Another drawback of handhelds is you must buy an external mike or 
voice-activated headset so you can keep the radio flat on the table.  This 
is especially true if you plan to handle traffice or be a net control 
station.

The drawback of a mobile is you must have some sort of battery backup so you 
can use it when there's no electricity.

I use both a mobile and a handheld.  I've got the Kenwood TMG707a and an old 
Icom 02at.

Terri, Amateur Radio call sign KF6CA.  Army MARS call sign AAT9PX, 
California
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ham Steve" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 11:28 AM
Subject: Mobile vs. HT Radio


: Hank,
:
: It all depends.  If you're still in Spokaloo, as I was in the 80's, there
: are lots of repeaters you can work with just a hand-held.  There were a
: couple that were linked as well.
:
: From my QTH on the north side, I did have a ten watt box at the time 
running
: thru a 2-meter beam.  One of the things you could do with that is bounce 
it
: off one of the mountains and work into Yakima and occasionally the
: Tricities.  I also checked into a simplex net and could use the beam to 
work
: into Idaho and sometimes Western Montana.
:
: But, if you don't have a decent two-meter antenna, you probably won't be
: able to work much more than the local repeaters anyway.  So, in that case, 
I
: think I'd opt for a hand-held and you could always buy a small power 
supply
: and a 2-50 watt VHF amp if you ever need more power from your home QTH. 
The
: only drawback to this is that typically, the front-end in an HT won't be 
as
: selective as the front end of a good mobile rig.
:
: Steve, K8SP
:
:
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